Police in Lyons are searching for a person who wore a pink wig and wielded a sword during the robbery of a Dunkin’ Donuts last week.
The person snuck into the store in the 8000 block of Ogden Avenue through an unlocked rear door about 3 a.m. May 14, grabbed a cash tray from a counter near the drive-thru window and was attempting to exit when the only employee present emerged from the back room, Lyons police Cmdr. Brian Kuratko said.
A security video image shows the suspect at the front of the store holding the cash drawer with one hand while threatening the clerk with what has been identified as a Japanese katana-style sword, Kuratko said.
More Top Picks Best Perfumes For Men
The website sword-buyers-guide.com lists authentic, 3-foot-long katanas starting at $4,000, with replicas fetching $200 to $500.
Kuratko said the suspect remained silent during the robbery and made off with $200 to $250.
He said the clerk, who was unharmed, was alone in the restaurant, which serves only drive-thru customers at night. The clerk told investigators he had been changing cash drawers when he stepped into the back room, Kuratko said.
Police initially thought the robber was a man, but Kuratko said Friday the footwear and black yoga-style pants worn by the “very skinny” individual indicates it may have been a woman. The person was described as being 5 feet, 10 inches to 6 feet tall.
Kuratko said the armed robbery was unusual “at this time of night” but said stranger things have happened in the past.
“If you’re familiar with the village of Lyons, nothing is unique,” he said.
Sullivan is a freelance reporter.